Solo Adventure Travel…in Egypt!

Would you love to go travelling, but are nervous or concerned about jetting off on your own? This isn’t an unusual problem but don’t dismiss it, as it can be an incredibly rewarding experience, albeit a little nerve-wracking at times!

It’s always nice to have someone to lean on every now and then, but just because you set off on your own, doesn’t mean you have to stay that way. You’ll meet plenty of other people in the same boat as you, giving you the chance to make some new friends as you globetrot.

If you’re looking for the ideal destination for singles adventure travel, try Egypt. It’s not too far away from home and is a great place to enjoy a short one or two-week break to see if going it alone really is for you.

Here are a few reasons why it’s a top place for solo travellers – or in fact anyone who wants a break surrounded by culture, history and sunshine.

Historical sites

OK, so the first thing that will come to mind when you think of Egypt is probably the Pyramids, but there are a host of other, equally impressive, monuments you can visit. One of the best ways to get between the main sights is on a Nile cruise. You can drift along the river from Cairo to Luxor (which is home to the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings) at a leisurely pace.

From Luxor, it’s another boat ride on to Aswan, home of Abu Simbel. This massive temple was moved piece by piece before the construction of the Aswan dam, which flooded a large area of land – now Lake Nasser – and would have submerged these amazing buildings.

As a solo adventurer, cruising on the river is a great option, as you’ll be sharing the boat with other travellers, giving you the perfect opportunity to get chatting to some likeminded people.

Fun activities

While seeing all the famous sights is fantastic, you’ll no doubt want to dedicate some of your trip to trying new activities, which means you should plan to spend a bit of time in one of the Red Sea resorts.

Sharm el Sheikh, Dahab and Hurghada are among your options, with the former two both located in the Sinai Peninsula, which is home to Mount Sinai and St Catherine’s Monastery. One of the main draws to any of these destinations is the water sports on offer, with scuba diving, windsurfing and kite surfing all available.

Thanks to the Red Sea’s rich marine life, scuba diving really is a must – or at the very least snorkelling. Putting on a set of scuba gear and diving in is the best way to fully appreciate the world beneath the waves and, if you’re travelling alone, it is a truly fantastic way to meet new people. Divers are generally a friendly bunch and if you choose to stay in Dahab, which is a bit smaller and quieter than Sharm el Sheikh or Hurghada, there’s a friendlier atmosphere and plenty of people who are willing to swap stories about their diving adventures.

Nightlife

If you’re a bit of a party animal and want to let your hair down with your new travelling buddies, Sharm el Sheikh or Hurghada are the best places to choose. Both are home to large clubs (most of which are open-air), plenty of bars and lots of restaurants and cafes.

That’s not to say there’s nothing like that in Dahab, but as it’s much smaller, there is less choice and it’s generally not as busy. There are still some lovely beachside bars where you can chill out after a day of activity though, as well as a great selection of restaurants serving everything from Egyptian and Bedouin meals to Thai and Italian fare.

This post was brought to you by Explore, one of the UK’s leading adventure travel tour operators which has been running small group adventure holidays throughout the world since 1981…thank you for the insight into solo travel!

Are you a solo traveller? If so, where you would recommend and do you actually prefer travelling on your own?…